Alderman, 41st Ward: Mary E. O'Connor

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Updated: January 20, 2011 4:28PM

Birth date: 12-02-1958

Political affiliation: Democratic

Neighborhood: Edison Park

Occupation/Firm name: O'Connor's Deli and Market/Unforgettable Edibles

Marital status: Single

Campaign HQ address: 7280 W. Devon Ave. Chicago, IL 60631

Campaign website: www.maryforalderman.com

What is your campaign budget?

$100,000.00

What are your top priorities for the City of Chicago?

-Job creation and local business growth

-Improving education

-Capping property taxe.

-Seek innovative solutions generate revenu.

-Building a stronger Police presenc.

-TIF refor.

What are your top priorities for your ward?

-Fight for our fair share of city services

-Aggressively fight Police re-deployment from the 16th Police District to other parts of the city

-Revitalize all business districts and encourage business owners to hire locally

-Advocate for the appropriate funding for our over-crowded schools

-Restore recycling service.

-Holding landlords accountable for maintenance of vacant storefronts

-Pursue opportunities to attract tourism dollars for O'Hare airport traveler.

The city is in serious financial trouble and can't afford the level of service it currently provides. For 2011, Mayor Daley, with City Council backing, balanced the budget without raising taxes or fees, relying instead on some cost-saving measures and one-time fixes, including using proceeds from leasing the city's parking meters. Do you support this approach? What should be done differently going forward?

Please be specific about your plans to reshape government: what services and departments would you scale back or cut? Can you identify new revenue sources? How can the City reduce personnel costs? What kind of concessions should the City seek from the unions?

I do not support making rash decisions like leasing city assets without analyzing it carefully. Entering as a new alderman I would carefully review the city's budget and look into where money can be saved. I would look at possibly combining city departments. I would examine leases and contracts to see if they can be canceled or renegotiated. The city needs to prioritize its' current services and cut back on certain beautification projects. I also believe there may be some room to reduce the number of middle management positions within city departments. I think the city should work with the unions and the unions with the city to arrive at a reasonable solution towards addressing our economic crisis and budget problem.

We have to find ways to generate revenue for the city. The budget problems we're facing today are not going away, and no one wants to see our property taxes go up. We need to look at creative funding sources. One of the ways we can be creative is to look at public/private partnerships with businesses. There are examples of these kinds of partnerships working well. I will seek out more opportunities to partner with the business community to address funding sources. I will look into advertising on city assets, like on city stickers, train stations and park districts.

On top of pursuing more public/private partnerships, I support building a casino in Chicago. Since Chicago is a world class city, with men and women traveling here for business every week, the city benefits from these individuals spending money at hotels, restaurants, etc but they might be willing to spend more. A casino would give another option to socialize at night, and only benefit our convention business to give us additional opportunitities to generate revenue. A casino will not only bring money directly to the city, it will also create union jobs.

The city's four employee pension funds have been called a "ticking time bomb," with Mayor Daley's pension commission predicting that the four funds will run out of money in 20 years. "There is no low- or no-cost solution to this problem," the commission wrote in a report earlier this year. "Deferring action is not a viable option." What is your plan for bringing the pension funds to solvency?

We need to act immediately and there are no win/win solutions. I am most comfortable with some of the recommendations that came from the Commission to Strengthen Chicago's Pension Funds. I agree with the experts that suggest that we need to honor our current obligations and that any changes that are made must not affect past or current employees. Although there are no easy solutions, there may be some opportunities for creative thinking to give workers an incentive to stay on the job longer, and therefore delay paying individual pension obligations.

On top of the city meeting it's end of the bargain, pension benefits for future employees will need to be re-negotiated. Future employees will need to contribute more and retire later. I also think certain reforms can be made in future pension negotiations, like limiting an individual to one pension, to end "double-dipping", capping pensions, and reducing the annual COLA.

Does Chicago need 50 aldermen? If not, what's a better number? What City Council committees could be combined? What other ways can the City Council save money?

The city has forced all city agencies to make necessary concessions in these tough economic times. Concessions in city hall need to be open for negotiation, so I am open to analyzing the possibility of reducing the number of alderman. An effective alderman is responsible not only for voting for city ordinances, but also for delivering city services to the constituents of the ward. If there is a way to make incremental reductions to the number of alderman while maintaining the level of service that the 50 council members now provide, that option should be considered.

For an outside perspective, it seems clear that some committees should be combined, like Buildings & Zoning, or with Historical Landmark Preservation. At the same time, since I have not yet been a member of City Council, I will need time to examine the individual committees and assess which ones should to be combined. As a small business owner, I have conducted line to line audits to eliminate wasteful spending. I will use this experience to analyze city council's spending. I do support an immediate freeze on alderman's salaries.

Chicago was designed as a weak mayor, strong council form of government yet Mayor Daley wields considerable power over the City Council. What measures would you recommend to strengthen the council? On which issues should the mayor lead? On which should the council lead?

These are extraordinary times with many new council members entering along with a new mayor; it is difficult to predict what kind of leaders we will have in City Council. As a new alderman myself I will reach out to my fellow council members as well as the new mayor's staff. The mayor should lead on budgetary issues and immediately begin to help shape policies that are good for the taxpayers. The council should lead by addressing the day to day struggles their wards are currently facing. They need to focus on education, zoning, safety, and job creation.

The city's tax-increment financing program has been criticized on several fronts, including the proliferation of districts, how money is diverted from schools and other basic city services, how TIF funding decisions are made and for an overall lack of transparency. How would you improve the TIF program? Does the TIF law need to be changed in any way?

The idea behind TIF districts is to set aside a sum of money to be spent on development in a "blighted" area. While this seems like a decent idea in theory, the system has been abused time and time again. Because of this outrageous abuse, I support putting a moratorium on creating any new TIF districts until the entire system is re-evaluated. Reform is needed in the duration of the district (23 years), the transparency of how TIF dollars are allocated and spent, and eligibility requirements for the creation of district in a "blighted" area.

Mayor Daley has focused on privatizing city assets. Are there any other assets the City Council should consider privatizing? If so, would you make any changes to the way privatization deals are negotiated and passed through the City Council?

As of now, I can't think of any other assets the City Council should consider privatizing. I propose that the City Council have at least 30 days to sufficiently analyze the future privatization of any city asset, including a detailed proposal of how the money would be spent and allocated.

The Chicago Police Department is understaffed, with no lasting budget solution in sight. Given the current staffing levels, what changes would you recommend to use resources more efficiently? Do you support realigning beats in a way that moves police from lower crime areas to higher crime neighborhoods? What should happen to the diminished CAPS program?

I believe we need to continue to move officers from inside the districts, out to the streets. Many of these desk positions can be filled by civilians, retired officers, or others who do not have specialized police powers.

I recognize the importance of more police in high crime areas, but I cannot support taking police officers out of low crime neighborhoods, leaving our children and homes vulnerable to increased criminal activity.

Community Policing needs to be revamped. However, communication between police and the community is too important to let lapse. We need to get back to problem solving as well as community education programs like court advocacy. Currently each district has civilian and sworn personnel, together they need to continue to partner with communities to reduce crime and disorder issues.

The next mayor will choose a new CEO for the Chicago Public Schools. Do you think the CEO needs to have education experience? Should the new mayor continue the Renaissance 2010 program of shutting down failing schools and creating new ones? Should the new mayor continue Ron Huberman's "culture of calm" effort, which aims to improve the culture of the toughest schools and provides mentors and extra support for kids at greatest risk of being shot? What should CPS do to improve neighborhood schools that are struggling to educate the large numbers of students left behind, the students that don't make it into test-based, charters or other specialized schools?

The new CEO should have education experience. I am not opposed to promoting someone from within the Chicago Public Schools system. Ideally, the new CEO should have real world experience in both educating diverse groups of children and competing in the private sector. Being able to utilize both of these skill sets in this remarkably difficult position and fight for our future would be beneficial to students, teachers, and our city's economic growth.

Despite its good intentions, the Renaissance 2010 program has not addressed all the complex problems facing the Chicago Public Schools system. Closing failing schools and opening new charter schools is not the answer. The new CEO should focus on improving our current schools while examining why some schools are failing and others are thriving. We need more time to review the results of the current new schools before opening additional schools.

Broken families, poverty, and gang violence are just some of incredible hardships that students in our toughest schools face on a daily basis. Huberman's "Culture of Calm" initiative is a good first step in educating the whole child. Addressing the school's learning environment is an important step in improving academic performance.

A crucial step in improving neighborhood schools is to continue the effort to reach out to parents and community leaders. They need to be involved in their neighborhood schools because a child's education does not end in the classroom. Additionally, the Illinois Constitution says the state has the "primary responsibility" for funding education. Members of the City Council should work tirelessly with their State Senators and Representatives to make sure the state fulfills this commitment to the schools in all of our wards.

Do you support one or more casinos for Chicago? If so, where would you like to see casinos located?

Due to the budget deficits the city is facing, I support building a casino in Chicago. As a world class city, Chicago benefits from business people and other travelers spending money at restaurants and hotels, but these visitors might embrace a casino. A casino in the city would not only recover some of the revenue lost to other states and municipalities, but also create construction and service industry jobs. I would like to see the casino located somewhere downtown to maximize its capacity to capitalize on convention traffic.

Aldermen have considerable influence over TIF, zoning and other decisions, both large and small, related to development and services in their ward. Do aldermen have too much influence?

The aldermanic influence over TIF districts has contributed to the abuse, and is another reason why I support a moratorium on any new TIF districts until the entire system is re-evaluated.

If elected alderman, do you plan to maintain an outside job? Would you pledge not to hold any job that represents a conflict of interest, including those that involve spending public dollars?

I will be a full time alderman. I am the owner of two businesses (O'Connor's Deli and Unforgettable Edibles Catering) and plan to keep the businesses, but will be handing over day to day operations to my business partner and one of my senior employees. These business are valuable to the neighborhood, both by employing local residents and by financially contributing to the community itself.

I will not hold any job that represents a conflict of interest, including those that involve spending public dollars.

Would you accept campaign contributions or gifts from your employees? Would you pledge not to hire relatives on your staff?

I would not solicit any campaign donations from staff members. I would accept a small Christmas or Birthday gift, if a staff member chose to do so. I pledge not to hire any relatives.

Does the City need to change the way it hands out contracts? Should aldermen reclaim oversight of City contracts? If so, contracts above what dollar amount?

In order to minimize corruption and ensure fiscal responsibility, the city needs to be more transparent in the way it hands out contracts. Aldermen should have the power to review and approve or deny contracts over $250,000.

Do you support an inspector general just for the City Council? Would you support giving the city's existing inspector general power to investigate aldermen and their staffs, including subpoena power?

I think the existing inspector general should have the power to investigate aldermen and their staff, including subpoena power. I don't think it is financially responsible to have a separate investigator for City Council, which would involve more staff and resources.

Should there be new limits on who can lobby City Hall officials, including aldermen? Should former City Hall employees be prohibited from doing business with the city after their departure? If so, for how long?

As far as I understand them, the rules regulating individuals who can lobby the city are clear and adequate as they stand now. The prohibitive length should reflect any active contract that the employee worked on or any signing authority for no less than two years.

What's the best book ever written about Chicago? Why?

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It was suspenseful, fascinating, thrilling and educational, everything you can ask of a book. It described how our city became one of the most notable lakefronts in the country while paralleling the story of the first American serial killer. It was so great going back in time to the 1893 World Fair and seeing how the citizens of Chicago lived and what great inventions came from the Columbian Exposition.

Please list your educational background

I am a graduate of Immaculate Conception grammar school, Resurrection High School, and Eastern Illinois University, where I earned a degree in business. Continued marketing and management education with (WBENC) Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and business license related training for the food industry.

Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong

-Member of Edison Park Chamber of Commerce; President from 2002-2008

-Member of Edison Park Community Council, Board Member 2002-2006

-Co-founder of Edison Park Turkey Trot

-Member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council

Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?

In 2008, I was elected 41st Ward Democratic Committeeman.

Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government

I have catered events for government entities. My brother is employed by the Chicago Park District. My nephew had a summer job with the Metropolitan Water Reclaimation District.

Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed

Baubles and Bags Inc. - $1,000

Friends for Mulroe - $1,000

Committee to Elect James DeLeo - $1,000

Daniel and Meredith O'Connor - $1,000

Robert Donohue - $500

Source One Benefits, Inc. - $500

Please paste a brief biography here

While growing up in the 41st Ward, Mary O'Connor's strong work ethic, values and sense of responsibility propelled her into a life of community involvement and achievement.

Mary attended Immaculate Conception Grammar School, Resurrection High School and earned a business degree from Eastern Illinois University. Later she began a catering business from the basement of her parents' Norwood Park home. That business grew into O'Connor's Deli & Market and Unforgettable Edibles Catering located in Edison Park.

In over 20 years as a successful business owner, Mary has worked to build her business, provide local employment opportunities, nurture dozens of neighborhood young people and give back to the community in countless other ways. Always an active community volunteer, as the six-time president of the Edison Park Chamber of Commerce, Mary presided over the rejuvenation of downtown Edison Park and co-founded the annual Edison Park Turkey Trot, which is now in its 14th year and has donated over $400,000 to various charities throughout Chicago. In 2008, Mary was elected Democratic Committeeman of the 41st Ward.

Today, Mary helps raise funds and bring awareness to the Norwood Park's New Hope Community Food Pantry. Her efforts have helped to provide relief for as many as 1,800 members of the community. She also donates food weekly to Saint Stanislaus Kostka food pantry.

She continues to be motivated by the same values she learned as a child: hard work, respect for others and by working collaboratively with local businesses and residents to improve the community.